Ships and crafts had played important roles in rescuing, relieving, supporting people's daily life and rehabilitation activities after the disastrous earthquake broke out in Awajishima island, Kobe and Hanshin area.
However, due to the fact that many people including administration officials have not recognized there is an open sea area (Osaka Bay) in front of them for evacuating families and people suffered from the disaster, loss of human life, damages of personal possessions and property as well as the damages on the social and economic activities may be considered to become big.
The authors have studied the damages, activities of rescuing, supporting life-lines and rehabilitation, etc. of the Hanshin-Awaji disastrous earthquake from the viewpoint of the sea and have obtained an instructive results. They show the results of study and propose a development model of coastal cities that will play an important role for the social and economic environment in the 21st century.
Key words: Osaka Bay Area, ship & harbour, rescue and support, rehabilitation, environmental creation, coastal area